Sonic 3D Blast was released over 20 years ago on the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive and while plenty of time has passed, it appears that there are still some interesting secrets that lie within the game.
If you have been gaming for any amount of time, you might have heard lore about being able to access secrets parts of a game by satisfying a set of criteria. This can be in the form of inputting a code or even just navigating to a section within the game that doesn't normally look accessible.
What makes the trick for Sonic Blast 3D a bit different is that you can access the special stage by simply moving the physical cartridge while it is being played in the console. The method gets explained in great detail in the video but simply put, there was an exhaustive process of getting a game approved by Sega. If there was even one issue, like a random crash or freeze, the company would send it back, requiring the developer to fix the issue before resubmission, resulting in missed deadlines and other problems.
Since a crash happens unpredictably, one enterprising programmer decided to code it so that if it did occur, it would send the player to a "secret" level. This was a convenient way to mask the problem, and at the same time, fooling the auditor. In the case of Sonic 3D Blast, there is a bit of code that initializes this if there is a physical disconnect between the cartridge and the console while it is being played, which explains why moving the cartridge about can activate the hidden level.
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